• Mini Ratna PSU RailTel launched the Prime Minister Wi-Fi Access Network Interface (PM-WANI) scheme on Monday, which provides public WiFi access at 100 railway stations in 22 states. PM-WANI is a Department of Telecommunications initiative (DoT). The ‘Wi-Dot’ app can be downloaded from the Google Play Store to connect to this WiFi network. By allowing One-Time Know Your Customer (KYC) to overcome One-Time Password (OTP) based authentication, PM-WANI-based access will be able to use WANI-based public WiFi. With 17,792 WiFi hotspots, RailTel’s WiFi network currently covers 6102 railway stations across the country.
• At the Executive Board and General Assembly meeting in Manila, Philippines, India was unanimously elected as the new Chair of the Association of Asian Election Authorities (AAEA) for the year 2022-2024. The AAEA is now chaired by the Manila Election Commission. Russia, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Taiwan, and the Philippines have joined the Executive Board as new members.
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• Deepika Padukone, an Indian actress, has been named the first Indian brand ambassador for Louis Vuitton. The French brand has announced this information. During the launch of its new handbag ad, the firm revealed the character of a 36-year-old Bollywood actress. Deepika Padukone was spotted in promotional photos with Emma Stone and Zhou Dongyu during this time. She was just named to the 75th Cannes Film Festival’s eight-member jury, which will be led by French actor Vincent Lyndon.
• GST collections touched an all-time high of Rs 1.68 lakh crore in April, reflecting sustained economic activity despite a number of challenges and improved tax compliance. April’s revenue is 20% more than a year ago and Rs 25,000 crore higher than the previous high of Rs 1.42 lakh crore set in March of this year.
• Rajiv Kumar, the current Election Commissioner, has been named the next ‘Chief Election Commissioner.’ According to a notification released by the Law Ministry, Sushil Chandra will take over on May 15 after demitting office on May 14. The President has appointed Rajiv Kumar as the Chief Election Commissioner, effective May 15, 2022, as per Article 324 of the Constitution.
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• The Reserve Bank opted to hike the benchmark rate in an unplanned meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee on May 4, leaving the accommodative stance. The policy rate has been hiked by 40 basis points, while the CRR has been raised by 50 basis points. Interest rates in the banking sector are expected to rise as a result of the RBI’s unexpected decision to raise rates for the first time since August 2018. The Equated Monthly Installment (EMI) on home, vehicle, and other personal and corporate loans is anticipated to rise as a result. Deposit rates, particularly fixed-term rates, are expected to rise. The action damaged market sentiment, and the stock market dropped to a new low.
• According to government data, India’s retail inflation increased to 7.79 percent in April, owing to rising fuel and food prices. For the fourth month in a row, consumer price-based inflation stayed significantly above the Reserve Bank of India’s upper tolerance range. CPI inflation reached its highest level in eight years in April. It was last measured at 8.33 percent in May 2014. In April, retail inflation increased to 6.95 percent from 6.95 percent in March and 4.23 percent a year ago.
• Based on the Birth and Death Report, the Central Government has produced the Civil Registration System (CRS) Report 2020. According to the report, the number of registered births declined from 2.48 crore in 2019 to 2.42 crore in 2020, a 2.40 percent decrease. According to the Civil Registration System (CRS) figures for the year 2020, 81.2 lakh individuals died in the country, which is 6.2 percent higher than the previous year (76.4 lakh registered deaths).
• The Supreme Court issued a firm ruling on the country’s sedition legislation, which has been in place since the British era. No case will be registered under section 124-A of the IPC until the re-examination process is completed, according to the court. The court has also suspended the procedures in the cases that have already been filed. At the same time, an accused in custody under this clause can file a bail application.
• The Taj Mahal was claimed by the Jaipur Royal Family two days ago. We had a palace there, claimed Diya Kumari, a member of the Royal Family and BJP MP. It’s a good thing someone has petitioned to unlock the Taj Mahal’s doors; the truth will be out. Diya Kumari claims to have documentation proving that the Taj Mahal was once the residence of the old royal family of Jaipur, which Shah Jahan conquered. When Shah Jahan took the Jaipur family’s palace and property, the family couldn’t stand up to him because he was the ruler at the time. Mughal Prince Tucy stated that this is only a PR stunt.